Dive Deeper: Journeys with Moby-Dick (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780199855759)

Herman Melville's epic tale of obsession has all the ingredients of a first rate drama--fascinating characters in solitude and society, battles between good and evil, a thrilling chase to the death--and yet its allusions, digressions, and sheer scope can prove daunting to even the most intrepid reader. George Cotkin's Dive Deeper provides both a guide to the novel and a record of its dazzling cultural train. It supplies easy-to-follow plot points for each of the novel's 135 sections before taking up a salient phrase, image, or idea in each for further exploration. Through these forays, Cotkin traces the astonishing reach of the novel, sighting the White Whale in mainstream and obscure subcultures alike, from impressionist painting circles to political terrorist cells. In a lively and engaging style, Dive Deeper immerses us into the depths of Melville's influence on the literature, film, and art of our modern world. Cotkin's playful wit and critical precision stretch from Camus to Led Zeppelin, from Emerson to Bob Dylan, and bring to life the terrors and wonders of what is arguably America's greatest novel.

Author: George Cotkin
ISBN-10: 0199855757
ISBN-13: 9780199855759
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Language: English
Published: 08/01/2012
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.01lbs
Size: 9.34h x 10.80w x 0.61d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 04/30/2012 pg. 122
Booklist 07/01/2012 pg. 10
Library Journal 06/01/2012